Harvard Health Content API

About 13% of Americans age 60 and older say they are confused more often and having more problems with thinking and memory, a survey finds. One-third of this group said their confusion or memory issues have caused problems for them. They may have had problems with their social life, work, chores or other activities. Only one-third had talked to their doctors about these problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did the survey in 2011. It was the first survey of its type among older U.S. adults. Nearly 60,000 people in 21 states answered the questions. The results show that it’s important to look for early signs of dementia, experts told HealthDay News. Signs may include asking the same questions over and over, getting lost in familiar places or not being able to follow directions. People also may become more confused about time, people and places.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has endured both jokes and doubts about his political future because of obesity, says that he has had weight-loss surgery. Christie told the New York Post that he had a gastric banding procedure February 16. This surgery involves placing an adjustable band around the stomach to make it smaller. It makes people feel full faster. This and related procedures are the favored option for very obese people who have not lost weight in other ways. Christie, 50, did not announce that he had the procedure. He answered questions raised by the newspaper. Some commentators have said that health concerns could limit Christie’s political future. He has been mentioned often as a potential Republican candidate for president. But Christie told the Post that he got the procedure for the sake of his family, not politics. Christie has never revealed his weight.

Fish oil pills don’t reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people at high risk of heart disease, a new study suggests. Earlier studies concluded that eating fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, could lower risk in people with heart failure or a previous heart attack. The new study focused on about 12,500 people who never had a heart attack or stroke. But they had high blood pressure, a family history of heart disease or several other factors that increased their risk. They already were taking medicines to address those risks. People were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group took a daily capsule containing omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. The other group took placebo pills that contained olive oil. In the next 5 years, about 12% of each group died or spent time in a hospital because of a heart attack, stroke or other heart-related problem.

A guided home exercise program can help slow physical decline and reduce falls in people with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. The study included 210 people. All were living at home with a spouse who took care of them. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group did exercises at home twice a week with a physical therapist. Another group exercised in a group setting at a gym. The third group just received usual care and information about exercise. After a year, people in all 3 groups had declines in physical function. But people in the home-exercise group had only half the decline of those who got usual care. They also had only half as many falls. The gym group got stronger but had less benefit than the home-exercise group. Annual health care costs were about $34,000 for the usual-care group, $25,000 for the home-exercise group and $22,000 for the gym group.

If your friends don’t follow standard vaccine schedules, chances are you won’t either. That’s the conclusion of a study that surveyed 196 parents. All of them had children 18 months old or younger. They took online surveys that asked their opinions on vaccines and what schedules they followed for their kids’ shots. They also were asked about their sources of vaccine information and what the sources recommended. In all, 70 people skipped some recommended shots for their children, or delayed some of them. Researchers called this group “nonconformers.” They tended to ask more people for advice than conformers (those who followed standard schedules) did. About 72% of the nonconformers’ advice networks recommended skipping or delaying vaccines. Only 13% of the conformers’ networks gave this advice.